Abstract:
This data set consists of satellite measurements of global ocean color, photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) and Land Reflectance (LND) data obtained by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), in orbit on the OrbView-2 (formerly SeaStar) platform. SeaWiFS ocean color products are processed and distributed by the Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG). Processing details ... can be found at http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/DOCS/SW_proc.html

SeaWiFS acquires approximately 15 pole-to-pole orbital swaths of data per day, and approximately 90% of the ocean surface is scanned every two days. Visible and near infrared raw radiance counts are collected (Level 1A data) and are converted to geophysical parameters (Level 2 data). Level 3 (9 km) data processing involves both temporal and spatial binning and utilizes Level 2 Global Area Coverage (GAC) (4 km) data as input.

Each SeaWiFS Level-3 binned (9 km) data product consists of the accumulated data for all Level-2 products, for the specified instrument and resolution, corresponding to a period of one day, 8 days, a calendar month, a calendar year, or the cumulative mission. Each Level-3 binned data product is stored in one or more HDF files. The data are stored in a representation of a global, equal-area grid whose grid cells, or "bins," have a resolution of 9.2x9.2km (approximately 81 km2).

Each given time binning period (Daily, 8-Day, Monthly, Monthly Climatology, Seasonal, Seasonal Climatology, Annual, Cumulative) has a separate file for each product. These files include a main file containing all product-level metadata, and data for each bin filled for that product and time period. In addition, each product includes subordinate files, each of which contains data of one binned geophysical parameter for all bins. Subordinate files must be read in conjunction with the associated main file. The ocean color parameters are the normalized water-leaving radiances (radiance data corrected for atmospheric light scattering and sun angles differing from nadir), and geophysical parameters derived from the radiance data.

Other SeaWiFS Level 3 Binned Products: -SeaWiFS Level 3 PAR refers to false-colored images of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) from the sun 400-700 nm. For additional information about the PAR algorithm see http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/DOCS/seawifs_par_wfigs.pdf -SeaWiFS Land Reflectance (LND) refers to the images that depict land areas of the world in quasi-natural-color

Access Constraints
From the start of instrument operations through January 1, 1998, all SeaWiFS data is free and available to the public. Following January 1, 1998, SeaWiFS data for scientific research will ONLY be available to Authorized Users who have registered with the SeaWiFS Project. Any individual scientist who will be conducting research that employs SeaWiFS data must be a registered Authorized User. A single Authorized User cannot obtain data to be used anonymously by members of a research group; all of the members of the group must be Authorized Users.

Use Constraints
Publications of research results utilizing these data must acknowledge the SeaWiFS Project and the Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA.